This invention relates to solar heating and more particularly to a device for collecting solar energy and transferring that energy to a heating fluid.
The recent realization that sources of fossil fuels and particularly of petroleum fuels are sharply limited has brought a search for alternate energy sources. Wind and wave action have been considered, but the most available source would seem to be solar energy.
My invention is directed toward the concentration and collection of solar energy. Generally, collectors of solar energy include a flat plate with dark surfaced tubes or the like on which the sun`s rays are focused. Such collectors require careful alignment with the position of the sun, especially when concentration of sun's rays such as lenses or reflectors are used.. My device eliminates or at least considerably modifies that requirement.
My invention does that by using pyramid-shaped cups having dark inner surfaces on which the sun's rays will impinge directly, almost regardless of the direction in which the main collector surface is oriented. Also, energy will be reflected within the cup so that there is nearly always a surface of the collector on which the heat ray will be collected. The collector may be enhanced by use of a cover also using pyramidal forms on its surface. I also prefer that the outer surfaces of the cups be a reflective surface.